Residents 'bored rigid' in dirty care home - CQC

Stonedale Lodge in Croxteth has been rated inadequate three times since 2022

A dirty and "unsafe" care home where residents described feeling "bored rigid" has been rated inadequate for the third time in three years.

Stonedale Lodge Care Home, in Croxteth, could face enforcement action after another dire report from regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection this summer.

CQC inspectors found 38 falls had been recorded between January and July and plans to manage the risk of falls had not been completed properly.

The regulator noted some equipment, including wheelchairs and hoists, were not cleaned for an entire week and inspectors found a garden area littered with a used incontinence pad, disposable gloves and cigarette butts.

'I'd love to go out'

According to the inspection report one staff member had said: "We don't take people out in the garden, they're not safe or nice".

A relative of one resident said their relative "loves the sun and likes sitting in the garden but it's such a state".

The inspection found a lack of meaningful activity at the home while some residents were given television sets without remote controls.

One resident told the CQC: "I'm bored rigid in this room.

"I have a wheelchair but I need someone to take me out in it. I'd love to go to out but I don't go anywhere."

The home's management has been criticised by the CQC

The inspection also found concerns with the way staff managed the personal hygiene of residents.

The CQC found one person's toenails were "significantly overgrown" despite hygiene records noting their toenails had been checked by staff.

There were also concerns with the way residents' finances and valuables were managed.

On some occasions some people had not been given their weekly personal allowance, according to financial records examined during the inspection.

Possessions were not managed in a "respectful and dignified way" with some people lacking toiletries and clothing.

'Low funding'

Staff training and supervision was also criticised with inspectors finding some had significant unexplained gaps in their employment history.

The CQC said: "Special measures provides a structured timeframe so services understand when they need to make improvements by and what action CQC will take if this doesn't happen.

"The CQC has begun the process of taking regulatory action to address the concerns which Advinia Care Homes Limited has the right to appeal."

In a statement, an Advinia spokesperson said it had taken the concerns raised by the CQC "extremely seriously".

A spokesperson said: "The issues in Liverpool have also come about due to low funding of high dependent residents by the government which has resulted in difficulty in attracting well-trained permanent staff to the home.

"We first raised this issue more than a year and a half ago and warned of the risk to vulnerable adults."